The invention concerns a platform carriage with a push/steering handle disposed at a rear end of a load supporting platform, and a plurality of stationary rollers, at least one of which being a rotary steering roller.
Platform carriages with push/steering handles are known for example in industrial transport facilities. They comprise a loading platform to carry the load to be transported, under which generally two pairs of wheels or rollers are located. Usually the pair of wheels at the end of the platform located remote from the handle, is formed by stationary jack rollers (i.e., rollers which cannot turn about a vertical axis) and the pair of wheels located adjacent the handle comprise steering wheels which are rotatable about a vertical axis. While in this manner the steering forces may be kept low, the maneuvering ability is severely restricted, a disadvantage that especially in storage facilities designed for space saving with narrow aisles leads to considerable problems. The handle which is used for pushing, pulling and steering and is mounted at one of the two ends of the platform is in the form of a closed sliding grip bow; to move the platform carriage, a force is applied to a horizontal cross bar of the handle, which is not suited to an optimal transmission of such force, especially for steering. Furthermore, no manually correct hand grips can be provided, in particular because the bar forming the sliding grip may be smaller in diameter for static and other reasons than would correspond to an optimal grip diameter; such platform carriages are thus not in keeping with ergometric innovations.
It is the object of the invention to further develop the known state of the art in a manner such that while keeping improved ergometrics in mind, production would be made more economical and applications safer.